Fanchon,
I started this blog as the result of a Harkness Ballet alums’ reunion a couple of years ago (which I could not attend). Pat Machette Tuzer of Tuzer Ballet in Houston(?) and her husband, Tanju Tuzer, had both been in Harkness in the early 70s, and they sponsored the reunion. So this put us all in touch with each other after awhile, if only by e-mail. So the primary impetus for making this was to show my old dance buddies a spiral-bound book of Harkness performing when I was there. The photos, as you read in “About” are primarily Milton’s. We restablished our friendship in about 1990, and since then, he’s sent me book after book after book. At nearly 82, this is what he lives for: to make prints of the thousands of negatives he accummulated over 3 decades of hanging out with the gypsies at Luigi’s Jazz class; sneaking his camera into every major NYC company. Then he has a series of negatives of thousands of headshots of just the casual everyday dancer. And a series of NYC Street photos, where he also hides his camera or holds it forward as he looks sideway . . . thousands . . . all from the early 70s. He took both Martha Graham classes and Luigi classes, always with his camera and equipment ready to go. So I guess you got a story. Milton and I are best buddies. But ordinarily, for the folk in the 70s NYC dance world, most of us know each other . . . especially because he gave me a Harkness book with all these photos. I think he sneaked into The Purple Cow, where we were performing in Sarasota, Florida. Remember, we all haven’t communicated in 40 years. I have no idea what kind of a story to tell. How do you describe the ineffable? Well actually, Milton did describe the ineffable, because with each book, he records as much info about each page, which sometimes leads him into great storytelling (he loves to talk, cause he lives alone). Some are cassette tapes; some are CD-Rs. I’ve always thought of transcribing them, scanning the photos and making books for him, yet I’m none too far with that. A picture’s worth a thousand words.

Thank you Mickey I JUST have to call you Michelle, as we all knew you in olden times!) … for posting these great memories. Who are these corps dancers? Is that me in the middle? It looks like Mindy on the far left……….. Speaking of reunions.. we NEED another with EVERYONE that is still around! How to do it??????? Anyone ready to MAKE this happen? It was great but TOO short last time in 2008. We remember you all with very fond memories. ALL our love! Pat and Tanju ( We actually have had a school(tuzerdance.com) and a company (tuzerballet.com) since 1977 IN DALLAS. Come see us!

Dear Pat,
Well, I couldn’t come to Texas, so this was the next best thing for me . . . and, I thought, for everybody. You built the base, so let’s use it.
Sorry about the mistakes about Tuzer Dance and Tuzer Ballet.
Let’s just keep gathering and gathering contacts of alums and other dancers of the era, and share them with each other